Can't Help It
by dorkygirl
Summary: “I tried her home. Not there” Tony POV and an answering machine message. Complete (For now. Maybe)
1. Tony POV

Title: Can't Help It  
  
Rating: PG   
  
Summary: "I tried her home. Not there" Tony POV and an answering machine message.   
  
Ship: Tony/Kate implied   
  
Author's Note: First fan fiction story. Sorry if it's cheesy.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.

**Tony POV**   
  
"Heard from Kate?" Gibbs asked, and I looked up, startled.  
  
"No," McGee replied. "I tried her home. Not there," I added with a somewhat annoyed tone.   
  
I look back down at my paperwork. "Gonna give her a paddle?" I ask Gibbs.   
  
"Huh?" Of course, McGee just has to ask.   
  
"It has to do with the creek Kate and I are up in." I smirked and let that sink in. 

_Well would have been in. Where on earth is she?   
_  
Looking back down at my paperwork, my mind drifted towards the conversation I had with her answering machine five minutes ago.  
  
FLASHBACK—5 minutes ago  
  
Ring! Ring!   
  
All I kept hearing in my head was those damned rings. Finally I got the answering machine. The answering machine. I now hate the answering machine.   
  
"You've reached Kate Todd. I'm not at home right now, leave a message and I'll get back to you."   
  
I made a face at the phone before I heard the beep. At the sound of the beep, I took a deep breath, and said what I have been rehearsing in my mind for awhile now.   
  
"Kate, it's Tony. Boss is getting worried about you. Frankly, so am I. Where are you? I better warn you, you and I are up the same creek, pal. And we don't have a paddle," I then lowered my voice so that McGee couldn't hear me. "I miss you. Wherever you are, just be safe, all right?"   
  
With that I hung up. I sighed. Apparently, loud enough for McGee to hear.   
  
"Tony?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
"Get back to work McGee!" I said in frustration.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
I don't think I can help it. I'm worried about her.


	2. Kate POV

Navy NCIS Title: Can't Help It Chapter 2  
  
Rating: PG

Summary: "I tried her home. Not there" Tony POV and an answering machine message.

Ship: Tony/Kate implied

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.

Author's Note: This was supposed to be a stand alone. But I was bored, and came up with this. This isn't really a Kate POV while she was missing, because I don't think I write Kate that well, so this is my musings on what happened if/when she returned to the office and a bit beyond.

* * *

Kate's POV  
  
I walked into the NCIS office, exhausted and just wanting to go home.  
  
With the events of today, who wouldn't?  
  
"Remind me again why the hell I'm back here?" I asked, trying to be polite, but I couldn't help being a bit grouchy.  
  
"You have to finish getting your stuff and besides you do drive a car remember?" Gibbs replied.  
  
"Uh huh. Am I done? Can I go now?" I asked, wanting to crawl into my bed, and never come out.  
  
"Yeah you can go. Tony!" Gibbs called out.  
  
I started to leave and then I heard Tony mumble something and Gibbs say "You're driving Kate home."  
  
I turned around and I said, "I'm fine, besides I'm not leaving my car!"  
  
Gibbs gave me this look that looked like it said, "You're going no matter what."  
  
I gave in easily, because all I really wanted to do was sleep.  
  
As I walked past Gibbs, I mumbled, "My car better be there tomorrow."  
  
As we were walking to Tony's car, I wasn't quite paying attention to where I was going, so when Tony spun around quickly, looking like he was going to ask me something, I stumbled and would have fell if it weren't for Tony.  
  
He quickly grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes.  
  
"Don't say it," I simply stated, already knowing what he was going to ask me.  
  
"Say what exactly?" he asked innocently, but probably knowing exactly what I was talking about.  
  
"Don't ASK me what's wrong!" I exclaimed in frustration.  
  
He backed up slowly with his hands in the air, like he was surrendering.  
  
"Okay okay okay, I won't ask what's wrong. That wasn't even what I was going to ask you," he said to me.  
  
"Well what were you going to ask me then?" I asked getting tired.  
  
"Did you want something to eat?" he asked innocently.  
  
I rolled my eyes and sighed. I shook my head no and he replied, "Right, I wouldn't be too hungry either."  
  
We finished the walk to his car and he opened the car door for me and waited until I was in and he slammed the door. He walked to his side and started the engine, and started backing out of the lot.  
  
I must have fallen asleep on the way because when I woke up, we were already at my apartment, and Tony was just sitting there looking at me.  
  
"What?" I asked, annoyed.  
  
"We're here," he replied back.  
  
I fumbled around for the door handle and when I was halfway out of the car, I turned and said genuinely, "Thank you for the ride, Tony." He just smiled back and waited until I got in my apartment before he left.  
  
I went through my purse, absentmindedly looking for my keys. I found them buried under God knows what, and I put the key through the lock and let myself in.  
  
I threw my purse down on the couch and went inside the kitchen quickly for a glass of water. I noticed the answering machine blinking and hit the play button.  
  
"Hey Kate it's Mom, just calling to see how you're doing. Call me back. Love you," my mother's voice filled the air. I made a mental note to call her, and rummaged through the cabinet for a glass.  
  
"Kate, it's Tony. Boss is getting worried about you. Frankly, so am I. Where are you? I better warn you, you and I are up the same creek, pal. And we don't have a paddle."  
  
I froze at the sound of his voice, and I looked questionably at the machine, as if it would suddenly start talking. I shook any thoughts of Tony calling out of pure concern out of my head. He was probably told to, anyway.  
  
"I miss you. Wherever you are, just be safe, all right?"  
  
Yeah, right. Safe. I wasn't entirely, but I was sure as hell glad when I got out of there.  
  
I filled my glass with water, downed it in one gulp and placed it in the sink.  
  
I walked into my room, changed and crawled into my bed.  
  
The last thought that passed through my mind before I got knocked out was "He missed me."


	3. Tony POV

Title: Can't Help It 3/3  
  
Rating: PG

Summary: "I tried her home. Not there" Tony POV and an answering machine message.

Ship: Tony/Kate implied

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.

Author's Note: This is the last "installment" or whatever you want to call it, of "Can't Help It." I may write another fic to add to this, when I feel like it, but don't expect it so soon. But do expect some other random stories in the future. Maybe not the NEAR future, but the future nonetheless, especially when the new season hits.  
  
**Tony POV**  
  
It's been two weeks since the ordeal with Ari has been over. Two weeks since I've driven Kate home, and I'm sure two weeks since she's heard my answering machine message.  
  
The message now, seems so... non co-worker like. It sounded to me something that... well something that I wouldn't normally say. I inwardly wince when I remember what I said. "I miss you." It was true, it really was. And I really was worried about her too. But now that we've gotten back into our bantering routing – slowly but surely- I have an urge to just want to erase the message. Not that I could anyway.  
  
"Hey Mr. I'd rather daydream about some random girl I met in a bar than do my work, Gibbs is calling you," Kate's voice broke through my daydream.  
  
I look over at Gibbs desk, and sure enough he was looking at me questionably. He shakes his head after a minute and then tells me to get back to work.  
  
I nodded quickly, to make sure he knew he was heard, and I turned my head to face my computer screen. I pulled up all the paperwork I needed to do and started quickly. Half my mind was on the paperwork, making sure it looked like I knew what I was doing, and making sure I wasn't making any noticeable mistakes. The other half was more like focused on anything BUT the paperwork.  
  
"Wow he's actually getting his paperwork done for once. Got a camera Gibbs?" she mentioned jokingly to Gibbs.  
  
"You know one day, in the near future, when you need me for a favor, I'm going to consider it. Then I'll remember what you just said two seconds ago, and I'll forget about it," I replied sarcastically.  
  
"The day I need you for a favor is the day that you'll actually remember some girl you met at a bar's name," she bantered back.  
  
"Don't you have something better to do than disturb a **working** man's... work?" I asked, emphasis on working. She smirked at me, but she did get back to her paperwork.  
  
An hour or so later, Gibbs excused himself from us, and went off to the morgue or some place. I was getting bored and restless and my paperwork was almost done.  
  
"Hey Kate?" I ask, breaking the silence.  
  
"Yeah Tony?" she asked, not lifting her head from her paperwork.  
  
"Do you ever wonder..."  
  
"No," she replied cutting me off.  
  
"But you didn't even..."  
  
"Still no."  
  
"You gotta hurt a guy when he's really bored and restless don't you?" I ask, semi-rhetorically. She smiled at me and went back to her work.  
  
She sighed dramatically, "What do you wonder Tony?"  
  
I looked up at her and asked, "Do you ever wonder if you can delete someone else's answering machine messages? By the phone?"  
  
She looked at me questionably and I added, "Like, say, if a cheating husband called the wrong house number and said the wrong things... You know what? Never mind. Forget I asked."  
  
She shrugged and just answered, "Well maybe if that person knew the other person's machine message number thing, but otherwise, probably not."  
  
I nod and we go back to work for a couple more hours. It was finally time to leave and all I wanted to do was eat and go home and sleep. Yeah, sleep sounds real good right about now.  
  
I was really proud of myself. Actually doing my work for once. Sure some of them might be a little late, but hey it's done, right? It really sucks when there's no one killed or something. I mean, it does suck when someone gets killed, but that means no action. Never mind, that actually makes me sound like an insensitive jerk.  
  
I notice Kate gathering all her things together, so I say the first thing that comes out of my mouth.  
  
"Hey Kate you want to get something to eat?" I can't believe those were the first words out of my mouth.  
  
"Yeah sure. Not like I had any plans or anything," she said looking at me, with a hint of question in her voice.  
  
I look down pretending to sort out my paperwork messily, while thinking to myself, what the hell was I thinking. At least she said yes. Maybe sometimes worrying about someone is actually a good thing. Sometimes.


End file.
